Truck Drivers

[TruckerTim]

Is there any truck drivers out there who want to talk about trucking and the struggles they face being on the road.

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[Miss Bea]

My son drives a truck for a living. Um, he has put on a good 100 pounds, eating the greasy stuff!

[TruckerTim]

Im sorry to hear that. Its very hard to eat well on the road. I know its very easy to get luered into eating the junk that's so much cheaper than the healthy stuff. Here in Northern Ontario truck stops are far n few between so you have to wait a long time before eating. Ive been fortunate enough to have my wife prepare enough good food to last my trip because im usually not gone very long. How long has your son been trucking?

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[Brother_Bliss]

My dad was an over the road driver till us kids popped onto the scene, and then he came off the road and worked the dock and yard for Yellow Freight - now YRC Corp.  

[Miss Bea]

It's been years. He is working for a logging company right now. What he tells me about those back roads... Has driven a chip truck too. The long haul was for a diary. Hauled milk! Right now, is off. Down season, and he had a knee replaced. That weight thing.

Sort of strange. I live where it takes two hours to get to town. Well, where you can get to services. And, I worked in a job that required, lots of times two hours, one way. I did that for years. And loved it. I still love driving. I drive 45 minutes, one way to hall. The drive is beautiful.

Just got a new car. Went from a Subaru outback to a Subaru Legacy, and I almost smile driving that thing.

It was my husbands choice. I'd probably gotten another outback, but he says, as we are getting on in years...at least it has four doors.

[Keef]

They say if you want to see the world join the navy.

Nah, become a trucker where you see the world and get paid for doing so.

Traveled all over Europe as a trucker and also as coach driver where I got paid to have

long wonderful holidays, stayed in fine hotels, great meals, free entrance to the sights

and lovely tips from the passengers.

Get to take the family sometimes for free as well.  Wonderful.

 

Leaves no time for the truth tho as your away long periods, there's always a negative side. 

 

Had privilege of trucking for society years ago hauling Assembly equipment from one assembly to next

then returning to storage when completed. Nice chance to be with brothers.

[TruckerTim]

My dad was an over the road driver till us kids popped onto the scene, and then he came off the road and worked the dock and yard for Yellow Freight - now YRC Corp.

Trucking doesn't leave much time to raise a family. It's nice your dad made his family his first priority. I don't have kids yet but when I do ill quit trucking for sure.

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[TruckerTim]

It's been years. He is working for a logging company right now. What he tells me about those back roads... Has driven a chip truck too. The long haul was for a diary. Hauled milk! Right now, is off. Down season, and he had a knee replaced. That weight thing.

Sort of strange. I live where it takes two hours to get to town. Well, where you can get to services. And, I worked in a job that required, lots of times two hours, one way. I did that for years. And loved it. I still love driving. I drive 45 minutes, one way to hall. The drive is beautiful.

Just got a new car. Went from a Subaru outback to a Subaru Legacy, and I almost smile driving that thing.

It was my husbands choice. I'd probably gotten another outback, but he says, as we are getting on in years...at least it has four doors.

I have a lot of respect for the ones driving log trucks. Its some of the roughest work there is and requires really good driving skills. Like your son experienced it takes a heavy toll on the body as well. I myself am starting to develope back pain and need attention from the Chiropractor and im only 25. You got a nice car to travel with using that Legacy. Your husband made a good choice. Its got the best drivetrain compared to anything else

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[TruckerTim]

They say if you want to see the world join the navy.

Nah, become a trucker where you see the world and get paid for doing so.

Traveled all over Europe as a trucker and also as coach driver where I got paid to have

long wonderful holidays, stayed in fine hotels, great meals, free entrance to the sights

and lovely tips from the passengers.

Get to take the family sometimes for free as well. Wonderful.

Leaves no time for the truth tho as your away long periods, there's always a negative side.

Had privilege of trucking for society years ago hauling Assembly equipment from one assembly to next

then returning to storage when completed. Nice chance to be with brothers.

Driving for the society would be such a privilege. Here in Canada they use very sweet looking peterbilts cromed to the Max. The drivers are very well taken care of.

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[Old]

It's been years. He is working for a logging company right now. What he tells me about those back roads... Has driven a chip truck too. The long haul was for a diary. Hauled milk! Right now, is off. Down season, and he had a knee replaced. That weight thing.

Sort of strange. I live where it takes two hours to get to town. Well, where you can get to services. And, I worked in a job that required, lots of times two hours, one way. I did that for years. And loved it. I still love driving. I drive 45 minutes, one way to hall. The drive is beautiful.

Just got a new car. Went from a Subaru outback to a Subaru Legacy, and I almost smile driving that thing.

It was my husbands choice. I'd probably gotten another outback, but he says, as we are getting on in years...at least it has four doors.

I have heard that Humboldt County log truck drivers have scared more people into repentance than all the hell fire preachers in the rest of the nation.      

  

[Miss Bea]

I have heard that Humboldt County log truck drivers have scared more people into repentance than all the hell fire preachers in the rest of the nation.      

  

Let's put it this way. I refuse to ride with him to the conventions, or, for that matter, even try following him. Just the way it is!

[Old]

Let's put it this way. I refuse to ride with him to the conventions, or, for that matter, even try following him. Just the way it is!

Most of the members on this forum would be frightened to death just to follow you to the meeting. The road, not your driving.

When we visited down there a year ago, I think I recognized some of the old paint scrapings I left on the rocks near your place. SevenUp Bottling green and white.

Remember the the old "Lord Ellis." I would inevitably lose  my brakes by the time I got down to the Buckhorn Cafe.

After living in Seattle for thirty years I am a white knuckled tourist when I get off the four lane.

I know what you husband would be thinking when all I can see in the rear view mirror is a VERY BIG RADIATOR.

[CHecker]

MH loads those log trucks! Most of them are good drivers. Now the trucks themselves? I'd keep a respectful distance.

 

And when we drive together I'd better be ready for it. All coffee'd up and ready to hang on. "Get in, sit down, shut up and hang on"...it's CRUMMY TIME! (name of the pickups the loggers use) is what they say. Nah, usually he's driving slower than I do and it frustrates me.

[Miss Bea]

Most of the members on this forum would be frightened to death just to follow you to the meeting. The road, not your driving.

When we visited down there a year ago, I think I recognized some of the old paint scrapings I left on the rocks near your place. SevenUp Bottling green and white.

Remember the the old "Lord Ellis." I would inevitably lose  my brakes by the time I got down to the Buckhorn Cafe.

After living in Seattle for thirty years I am a white knuckled tourist when I get off the four lane.

I know what you husband would be thinking when all I can see in the rear view mirror is a VERY BIG RADIATOR.

Buckhorn Cafe! Almost before my time, and that is a long time ago. The 299 is pretty good now. Well, beautiful. 96, well is beautiful, and to be respected! Wednesday, on my way to meeting for field service, I had to stop my car and move some pretty big rocks. Not passable. On the bluffs. I take going over 96 serious. With this rain, I see potential for a major road closure. Last slide closed the road for 11 days. I want to be on the right side of the slide. This time of the year, you don't pay attention to road reports. If you see on coming traffic, most likely the road is open.

And the truck drivers. I sort of trust them to watch out for me. I think they will. I have had to pull over to sleep. I just pull in next to a semi. And, somehow, feel a bit safer. And take my nap.

[Qapla]

I have not been to the west coast ....

 

However, another Brother and I went to Ames, Iowa to stay with some friends so we could attend the District Convention in Des Moines, Iowa back in the mid 1970's. We were driving a pickup truck with an over-sized camper top on the back. We were traveling down a brand new I24 when we came to it's abrupt end. We had to exit in Cadiz, Ky. Keep in mind that it was about midnight when we were in Cadiz - I did find a rather new, large gas station opened. I filled up and asked the young man there how to get to Paducah, Ky. He told me to just "go straight down this road a piece and we go right there.

 

If that was "straight" and a "piece" I'd hate to see what he thought a long, winding road looked like. It was a two-lane road that looked like it was designed by following a snake trail - in addition to that, it was pitch black because it was a "new moon". During part of the trip a semi of some type came up behind me and "road my bumper" until we got to a curve he felt he could pass on and around he went.

 

I sure was glad when we got to Paducah!

 

I went to Colorado with a different Brother back in 1978. We went to Longs Peak to hike and camp. Only problem, we were almost there when we ran out of gas. I was able to turn around in a driveway used by the rangers just before the entrance. I aimed the car back towards Estes Park, Co as the engine died. We coasted 9 miles back to Estes Park on a two-lane hitting some of the bottom of the "dips" at nearly 100mph just to crest the next "hill" at walking speed - thought we would have to get out and push a couple of times. But, we made it and I coasted right up to a gas pump when we got back to Estes Park. I was driving a 1966 Pontiac Star Chief Executive ... like this one

[Miss Bea]

I have not been to the west coast ....

 

However, another Brother and I went to Ames, Iowa to stay with some friends so we could attend the District Convention in Des Moines, Iowa back in the mid 1970's. We were driving a pickup truck with an over-sized camper top on the back. We were traveling down a brand new I24 when we came to it's abrupt end. We had to exit in Cadiz, Ky. Keep in mind that it was about midnight when we were in Cadiz - I did find a rather new, large gas station opened. I filled up and asked the young man there how to get to Paducah, Ky. He told me to just "go straight down this road a piece and we go right there.

 

If that was "straight" and a "piece" I'd hate to see what he thought a long, winding road looked like. It was a two-lane road that looked like it was designed by following a snake trail - in addition to that, it was pitch black because it was a "new moon". During part of the trip a semi of some type came up behind me and "road my bumper" until we got to a curve he felt he could pass on and around he went.

 

I sure was glad when we got to Paducah!

 

I went to Colorado with a different Brother back in 1978. We went to Longs Peak to hike and camp. Only problem, we were almost there when we ran out of gas. I was able to turn around in a driveway used by the rangers just before the entrance. I aimed the car back towards Estes Park, Co as the engine died. We coasted 9 miles back to Estes Park on a two-lane hitting some of the bottom of the "dips" at nearly 100mph just to crest the next "hill" at walking speed - thought we would have to get out and push a couple of times. But, we made it and I coasted right up to a gas pump when we got back to Estes Park. I was driving a 1966 Pontiac Star Chief Executive ... like this onepontiac.jpg

Sorry. This was hysterical. I can say that, because you lived through it!

[CHecker]

That's one groovy car John.

[Qapla]

Sometimes I wish I still had it ..... but, it was a 1966 .... and at nearly 50 years old parts would be hard to come by ... and with a 389 engine it was not overly stingy on gas.

 

I bought it used in the early 1970's from an elderly lady who was the original owner. She had all the paperwork for any and all service ever done on that car. It was in great shape with around 35,000 miles on it. She let me have it for $550 dollars even though she was asking twice that. I was pioneering at the time and she thought selling it to a full time minister was a good way for her car to be taken care of.

 

It made a great service car in it's day - could seat 8 - of course, seat belts were not required back then. We used to call it "The Sherman" because it was built like a tank.

 

I still had that car when I got married in 1980. Had it all the way into the 90's. Ended up with over 250,000 miles on it. I did have to replace the motor once, did that myself.

 

Only problem was, the car started having severe problems. The suspension started to go. The springs wore out and the A-Frame bushings were all failing. It needed an entire new front suspension, including all the steering components. The parts were no longer readily available - and the Internet was not what it is today where you can find almost anything.

 

With a family I could no longer keep putting money into it. When if broke down mechanically it was not economically feasible to continue to try to keep it working and we bought another used car - one that used much less gas. I eventually sold the car for salvage.

[CHecker]

Awwww, salvage. 

I have a'94 Astro sitting in the driveway, been there since about March. Something to do with where the heater hose comes into the top of the manifold. The connecting part of the manifold is cracked. I'll be sad if I have to salvage her, once I take her in to be checked out. She's not worth much to anyone but me. I've had her since 1997. Love driving her. Love having an older auto, they have character. As long as they don't become a maintenance hound.

Edited December 23, 2014 by bagwell1987

[GrumpysWife]

Grumpy still drives his 1983 Chevy S10 pickup. It has over 400,000 miles on it but the meter broke awhile ago so we are not certain. It sure looks like it's been through the mill though, but he takes care of the engines on our vehicles. 

[RaymondG]

If pickups count I'm in on this one...

I've now driven over 9,500 miles around the US in a Dodge D100 pickup and a further 1,200 miles or so in a D100 Adventurer Club Cab. Massive loads were carried in both, in each case well over the supposed half-ton capacity and probably over a ton.

This is the first D100 on the way to Walkill:

It also served us well as our own personal coffee shop as we travelled, this is at Lake Casenova NY...

I saw plenty of trucks on the highways and Interstates there, this bunch was in a rest area at Effingham, about halfway across Illinois between Terre Haute IN and St Louis MO...

And we parked among them near Lupton AZ, where we stopped to get travel information but found they weren't open yet... well, you can see it's early in the morning...

Like a true truck driver I did my own maintenance where necessary along the road. This was near Hurricane UT where a wheel bearing failed. That was a lesson I learned for my second trip, but it didn't really hold us up for long:

After seeing the sights I shipped it back to Australia loaded down with goodies. I then had to drive it from Sydney to home, about 500 miles:

The shot on the bridge emphasises the kind of load she was carrying.

[RaymondG]

When the time came for my last trip, I bought a van in which to do the bulk of my travelling. It was to cover 14,400 miles before I parked it back in Spokane to await my next trip over there. It's a RAM350 sporting a 360 V8 and I fitted an overdrive 4-speed manual transmission to it before I drove it. And fitted new front wheel bearings.

And then I set out for LA (via a few scenic points like Yosemite) in the Adventurer. It was all full up the whole distance I drove it... here it is overlooking the alkaline lake in the Sierra Nevada between Carson City and Yosemite:

But getting there wasn't without peril! I had trouble because the Ford wheels that had been fitted hadn't been opened out in the centre to fit the Chrysler hubs and broke a wheel stud. This necessitated a stop between Winnemucca and Lovelock NV to replace the broken lug and enlarge the centre holes in the wheels, I had to call for some help...

But all's well that ends well, they say... that truck should be on a ship and heading my way in a week or two.

One thing I do have to say about trucking in the US, it's about showers.

Whenever I pulled into a truck stop and asked about a shower they wanted about $12 or $13 for the privilege. Of course, truckies who filled up with diesel got theirs free and I managed in one case to score such a truck driver's shower voucher because he wasn't having one. On another occasion in North Carolina I asked the proprietor about it and told him I'd be buying $100 worth of gas. "If you buy $100 worth of gas you can have a shower," he said. The van took $100.02 worth!

But the best value was to have a bath in the Salmon River in Idaho...

[CHecker]

Ray, what a treat to see the pictures and experience where you went. I love stuff like this. Maybe I'll take a pic of my van I mentioned in another thread. She's done me good. She has 280,000 miles and has been maintenance free until just this year. She's hauled a lot of extra weight too, much more than she should have. 

It sounds like you had a good time doing what you did. How come you came to the states to work like this? What were you trucking all over? Was it expensive to ship a truck to Australia? 

 

Sorry about that, just curious, that's all. I really did love your experiences and pics. 

[RaymondG]

I wasn't working as such, Cheryl...

But by buying a pickup which I can sell in Australia for about what it cost me to buy and ship (around $4000 for the shipping) and then filling it with parts that I can sell here then it sort of subsidised my trip.

After I make another trip I'll bring the van back home and I'll use it here for further travels to places I haven't yet seen in Australia.

[CHecker]

Oh good thinking! What an adventure Ray. I'm jealous. We're rather boring home bodies. We'd like to travel more but we're such work-aholics we have a hard time taking time off. MH would like to go every December and we did for a few years. But recently we had a financial goal to meet and in March it will be met so maybe a trip to the desert will be in the planning. Either Vegas or Tucson. Wish I could find a way to make it a financially advantageous trip like yours!! Hmmm, let me see.....